Your helpful tips.

[Steve Waite]

PMDG PanelState

The PMDG 737 makes panel state files when the flight is saved, their names start with the same name as the flight file that started the flight.

Ideal Flight starts the flight with the file "Ideal_Flight.fxml" ("Ideal_Flight.FLT" in FSX) and the PMDG saves the files Ideal_Flight.fxml.fmc and Ideal_Flight.fxml.sav in its PanelState folder when the flight is saved.

It might be useful to remove those files before the next flight is started to prevent the PMDG setting up from Cold and Dark.

Make a new text file. Insert the following:

Code: Select all

rem Delete PMDG PanelState
C:
cd \
cd "C:\Program Files\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState"

del "Ideal_Flight.*"

...and save the file as DeletePanelState.BAT

This can be edited later by selecting the file and choosing "Edit" from the menu.

The folder in use may be different so that would need setting in as the PanelState folder name in use.

The file can be stored anywhere. The first lines choose the drive and the root, of the panel state folder then changes to the actual panel state folder.

The last line, del "Ideal_Flight.*" means that any files starting with "Ideal_Flight." will be deleted.

Additionally, the .BAT file can be started by Ideal Flight "Start Other Programs" function. However, automatically deleting the panel_state files might not be desired when loading a saved flight.

On the start page of Ideal Flight find the menu item "Start Other Programs".

In that, choose "Profile Selection": "System Wide" (all profiles).

Choose "Starting period": "Before Starting FS"

Next choose: "Add Program", point to the "DeletePanelState.BAT" batch file

Other options there are not important. Choose OK.

After that, when the simulator is started with Ideal Flight it will delete the panel state files.

(Note: Recent I.F. versions can now delete the panelstate files automatically when new flights are built by including a Delete Panelstate item in the Export Files section on the flight generator page).

[Steve Waite]

Regarding PMDG on Prepar3D

Due to the way the PMDG works to include extra detailed systems, they require loading after the simulator has been started.

With Ideal Flight, we often have the sim start-up from the Ideal Flight Fly! button (or Flight Restore button) and this takes us straight into the cockpit. Attempting to load a flight straight to the cockpit before the simulator is running will not work reliably with the PMDGs, instead, we need to have the simulator already running when we load the flight with the PMDG. Ideal Flight can do this automatically with the startup behaviour:

In Ideal Flight Startup screen, popup menu, choose "Simulator Startup Behaviour" and check "Load Default Flight". This way the simulator has already started before Ideal Flight loads the flight with the PMDG and the flight commences from the cockpit.

(This is mentioned elsewhere on the site.)

[Steve Waite]

Fails to complete the flight build process

Ideal Flight reads in information to do with the aircraft and in some add-on aircraft there might be something missing and this can prevent the flight building process. Ordinarily, Ideal Flight adds in missing values so a flight can be built. If we go into the Aircraft Flight Parameters page we might see a Range of 1 mile or a cruise airspeed of 1 knot. This is indicating that there is no information regarding those items and we must put pertinent values in those for the flight build process to complete.

After a successful flight the approximate Range is calculated and included in the assessment de-brief and we can enter that into the Aircraft Flight Parameters page for more accurate time and fuel calculations.

I recently found a situation thanks to Ron and his Falcon 20e where this can still present a problem to the build which is fixed in the next build coming shortly. This may affect other add-on aircraft.

In the meantime, if any problems in the flight build are experienced we should go to the Aircraft Flight Parameters page for that aircraft and check for pertinent values loaded in the boxes, then have another go at building the flight.

[Blind Pilot]

HEy Steve.
I'm just glad that I was able to help you out in any small way.
Here's to a day that we too will have a level flying platform as the sighted can take advantage with their normal vision.
It's a huge shame that the Microsoft fs 2020 team isn't listening to we giving the team input on how to make their current flight sim as accessible as the older FSX program was.
Ron AKA The Blind Pilot

Fails to complete the flight build process

Ideal Flight reads in information to do with the aircraft and in some add-on aircraft there might be something missing and this can prevent the flight building process. Ordinarily, Ideal Flight adds in missing values so a flight can be built. If we go into the Aircraft Flight Parameters page we might see a Range of 1 mile or a cruise airspeed of 1 knot. This is indicating that there is no information regarding those items and we must put pertinent values in those for the flight build process to complete.

After a successful flight the approximate Range is calculated and included in the assessment de-brief and we can enter that into the Aircraft Flight Parameters page for more accurate time and fuel calculations.

I recently found a situation thanks to Ron and his Falcon 20e where this can still present a problem to the build which is fixed in the next build coming shortly. This may affect other add-on aircraft.

In the meantime, if any problems in the flight build are experienced we should go to the Aircraft Flight Parameters page for that aircraft and check for pertinent values loaded in the boxes, then have another go at building the flight.

[Steve Waite]

Thanks again Ron!


Flight Parameters page
So just a reminder that when we add an aircraft to the system we should be going to the Flight Parameters page for that aircraft to check and enter pertinent values which affect the way the flight is built, the briefing will show the outcome.

We usually fly similar distances and altitudes in a particular aircraft, so in general, these values stay the same for each flight but sometimes we might want or need to alter one or two items depending on the type of flight we are going to do next. This way once set up, we need not have to enter much information, if at all, about the capabilities of the aircraft to instruct the flight builder to create the flight and plan.

[Steve Waite]

ATIS reading out when the flight starts

The Ideal Flight flight starts with the radio already primed and ATIS reading out if it's available.

If we don't want to hear ATIS when we start the flight we can change that before building the flight in Ideal Flight: Go to the Cold and Dark page on the Flight generator page, uncheck "Default Warm Cockpit" to enable the Cold and Dark page, and then in Cold and Dark page, choose "More Settings" and in there uncheck "Swap Comm1 and Comm 2" and rebuild the flight.

[Steve Waite]

Using the P3D/FSX Configuration section on the Aircraft Selection page

This can be complicated to understand so below I have provided a simple walk-through of the technique. I'm using FSX here but the same applies to P3D. This function can be quite useful when setting up testing scenarios but otherwise is not necessary in general.


I make a backup copy of fsx.CFG in: "C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX". Ill use this as my defaults file and place a copy into the folder: "C:\ProgramData\Ideal Flight 10\Profiles\FSConfig\FScfg"

I've called it "fsx mydefaults.CFG" and at the top of the file I have added the line: "// mydefaults".

Then I made a changes file called "fsx mychanges.CFG" and in it I have a simple modification with these lines:

[MAIN]
FIBER_FRAME_TIME_FRACTION=0.90 // mychanges


Now in Ideal Flight FSX Config section I choose "Model Name" for the left hand selection box so it applies to the current aircraft. I choose "fsx.cfg" in the second box so I can assign it my defaults file. So I click on "File Name" and in the file picker I choose to show all files and choose my defaults file "fsx mydefaults.CFG".

Next I choose in the second box "fsx.cfg 1" and click on "File Name" and in the file picker I choose to show all files and choose my changes file "fsx mychanges.CFG".

I can see what the result will be by clicking the "i" button. I can see the file has at the top "// mydefaults" and in the "[MAIN]" section is the new line "FIBER_FRAME_TIME_FRACTION=0.90 // mychanges".

Now I check the box on the left "Enable".

I start the flight with the "Fly!" button and go to the folder: "C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX" and open the file "fsx.CFG" in Notepad and I can see the file is the result file I looked at with the "i" button and the sim has started with this change applied.

When I am done with that configuration I copy the backup I made to "fsx.CFG" to restore the default file.